It’s never too late to learn to swim, even halfway through summer. Several organizations and entities have open enrollment or are just beginning their second round of lessons for kids of all ages.

That said, earlier is better, at least age-wise, instructors said.

“The younger you introduce them to water, the easier (swimming) is for them and the more fun they have,” said Kitty Schmidt, of Schmidt Swimming.

“Most little kids have no fear of the water, so it’s important that parents get them in the water as early as possible,” said Teri Gentile, aquatics director for Buncombe County. “The first step in their learning to swim is learning to be comfortable with having their faces in the water.”

Buncombe County’s second set of summer swim lessons for children is July 15-25, with 45-minute classes held Monday-Thursday. The cost is $30 per person for the eight-lesson sessions. Register and pay starting noon July 8 at one of the county’s five outdoor pools.

The city of Asheville offers lessons for free for kids at the three city pools. Register at 11 a.m. July 9 at the pool of your choice. Classes are Monday-Thursday, running July 16-26.

The Asheville Jewish Community Center (www.jcc-asheville.org) offers four private one-on-one lessons for $105 or four semi-private lessons for $60 at its 25-meter outdoor pool. Register at the JCC at 236 Charlotte St.

Schmidt teaches youth lessons at Mars Hill College’s pool. In Schmidt’s novice level, children 6 years and older learn to tread water and how to use proper arm and leg motions.

Classes meet Monday and Wednesday mornings, Monday and Wednesday evenings or Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Schmidt teaches all year, ending the summer season around the time kids go back to school. She assigns children to levels by testing to see how well they float front and back and how comfortable they are in the deep end, among other criteria. For details, visit www.swimasheville.com.

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Preteens who can swim learn the four competitive strokes: freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly. Schmidt has taught hundreds of kids, including children 18 months old.

The YMCAs in Asheville, Hendersonville and Marion (www.ymcawnc.org) offer several levels of lessons for preschoolers, from those who have never been in the water to those who can already swim but want to learn better breathing techniques and how to dive. School-age children can start as beginners or as swimmers who want to learn strokes and work on endurance. Advanced youth swim classes work on the skills necessary for competitive swimming.

Preschoolers are taught water safety and familiarity, while older kids focus on stroke development, efficiencies and dynamics in the water. Everyone learns how to float on their backs (a vital emergency skill) and how to swim underwater.

“Children who start out in the water when they’re young don’t struggle like older kids that start out later,” said Tina Weaver, youth development and aquatics director. “But it’s never too late to learn. We have students taking private lessons that are 50 years old.”

You don’t have to be a member to take lessons at the YMCA or the YWCA of Asheville.

The YWCA (www.ywcaofasheville.org) has an extensive program for kids year-round, aquatics director Tonna Davis said. Its second summer session starts July 1, but with open enrollment, parents can sign their children up at any time. Kids take lessons one day a week through August. The YWCA also teaches swimming to toddlers and adults. Beginners who are 14 or 15 generally take lessons with adults, Davis said.

Teachers at the YWCA are trained to spot confidence or anxiety in the water and assign beginners to appropriate levels accordingly, Davis said. Parents can prep their children for lessons by explaining that having water on their faces and in their ears is normal, she said.

Classes for preschoolers at the YWCA involve songs and games and toys. Older kids get to play on the slide and jump off the diving board. “We focus on making every experience here a positive experience,” Davis said. “The four P’s — practice, persistence, praise and patience — that’s our mantra.”